Chapter 1: A Deceptive Battle
Sesshomaru, Jaken and Rin were traveling through the forest as usual. The sun was beginning to set, and a beautiful purple hue lit up the horizon.
"Sesshomaru-sama, I'm getting tired," Rin yawned to her protector. "Just a bit farther child," Sesshomaru told her in his cold emotionless voice. They traveled to the top of a hill and then stopped to make camp. Sesshomaru and Jaken built a fire for Rin and fed her. She fell asleep almost immediately. Jaken curled up and fell asleep as well. Sesshomaru tried to sleep but found that he could not. He stared coldly into the dancing flames of the fire and was lost in his thoughts. Thoughts of pain. Thoughts of death. And thoughts of killing his shameful half- brother, Inuyasha.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and his group were still up and at it. They wouldn't rest until they had found the last shard of the Shikon jewel. Or until Miroku, who was helping the wounded Sango keep up with the group began to unknowingly grope her behind...
SMACK! "Ouch! What the heck was that for?" Miroku mumbled sleepily. "YOU GROPED ME YOU HENTAI!" Sango yelled at the sleepy monk as she slapped him again. "I did?" Miroku said, trying to hide a gleeful smile. SMACK! "OK OK I'm sorry! I didn't realize what I was doing," Miroku protested as he rubbed his sore face.
"I think we should stop here Inuyasha," Kagome suggested hopefully to the hurried hanyou. "No way. We've got to keep going until we find the rest of that jewel," he replied. "Kagome! Miroku just fell over flat on his face!" yelled Shippo from the back of the group. Inuyasha stopped and sighed. Kagome grinned impishly. "You were saying?" "Alright fine! We'll stop at the top of this next hill," he replied.
Suddenly Inuyasha smelled something...something he wished he had been downwind of and could've smelled before. Kagome saw his muscles tense. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" she asked him. Then she felt it. The irresistible pull of the Shikon jewel. She gasped at how close it was. "Inuyasha! It's so close! How come I didn't feel it before?" Kagome asked the dog demon anxiously. "Feel what?" Inuyasha snapped. "A shard of the Shikon jewel, that's what," she replied.
Inuyasha gasped. "How did he come to possess one of the shards?" Kagome frowned uneasily. "What's up with you anyway Inuyasha?" she asked. "I'm sensing...my brother." Now it was Kagome's turn to gasp in surprise. "Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha nodded. "Uh-oh. That can't be good," Kagome proclaimed.
Shippo came darting up towards Inuyasha and Kagome. "Kagome! They won't stop fighting!" Shippo whined. And indeed Miroku and Sango were. Miroku was now pretending to be too sleepy to know what he was doing and was trying to grope Sango's breasts. Sango was in turn whacking him over the head with her Hiratsu and inwardly wishing she had a sit command for him. "Shhh!" Inuyasha whispered to them. Miroku and Sango immediately fell silent and stared where the other three were staring. The top of the hill.
"What is it Inuyasha?" Sango asked. "Sesshomaru is at the top of that hill," Inuyasha informed them, "along with a lesser demon and a human child." "He has a shard of the Shikon jewel!" Kagome exclaimed. "Why does he have one of those?" Shippo asked. Inuyasha turned on him, annoyed. "What do you think I went up there and asked him? I dunno!" "Well sorry I asked Mr. Grumpy-pants," Shippo griped, and went back to playing with a flower he'd picked in the fields. "Come on guys, stop fighting. Let's just go camp somewhere else," Kagome protested. "What do you mean?" Inuyasha sneered. "This is a perfect, not-to-be-missed opportunity we have here. My brother on the top of that hill, probably asleep, with a shard of the Shikon jewel! I say I go up and battle him for his shard. And to kill him of course."
"What?!" Kagome said. "You must be insane! You are still recovering from the wounds Naraku left you with on our last little jewel shard escapade. You're in no condition to be battling Sesshomaru today." Inuyasha merely shrugged her off. "Feh. Stupid. I'm half demon, remember? My wounds are nearly recovered. I can still take on my older brother, no problem."
"I will fight by your side Inuyasha!" Shippo declared, leaping up from his spot on the grass. Miroku chuckled and patted the young kitsune on the head. "Sorry Shippo. You'll have to sit this one out." Shippo grumbled. "I always have to sit this one out..." "I'd be proud to fight by your side Inuyasha," Miroku said and bowed. Sango did the same. "Yeah yeah you can cut the drama now," Inuyasha told them. "I'll fight too Inuyasha," Kagome told him. Inuyasha looked between them all and sighed. "I doubt I'll need any of your help with this," he told them. They all rolled their eyes. They knew how Inuyasha loved to act tough in the face of danger. "Fine we'll just be your backup," Kagome told him sarcastically. "Fine. If you feel you have to," he growled.
No one noticed when Shippo left the group grumbling. "I never get to help. Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm helpless. Does it?"
I'm so confused. Ah well maybe it's better that I'm not in the battle anyway. Who wants to get splattered in guts and blood anyway? Ew.
Shippo eventually found a small brook in a moonlit clearing. It made a pleasant sound, so he sat next to it and stared into the cool clear water, and before he knew it, he was curled up on the grass asleep.
Sesshomaru had finally fallen asleep. In his dream he was lying on the top of the same hill he was lying on in real waking life, sleeping peacefully. It was then that he smelled a strange scent...it smelled like...Inuyasha!
Sesshomaru woke up with a jolt and immediately sniffed the air. Yes his dream was indeed correct. His brother's scent carried through the air along with the smell of his human companions. He knew he must prepare for battle. But first he had to wake up Rin. Bloodshed was not a sight for children to see.
"Rin. Wake up." Rin awoke, yawned, and smiled brightly at the youkai. "Sessho-sama! Is it time to go now?" "Yes Rin. You must go. But I will not be able to go with you on this trip." Rin expression turned downcast. "W...what do you mean Sesshomaru-sama? Rin must go somewhere all by herself?" Rin's eyes began to well up with tears. Within Sesshomaru's normally cold and emotionless soul a small feeling stirred and he managed a small smile towards the child. "Don't worry. I'm only sending you away for a short while. Jaken will go with you." He eyed Jaken who was snoring only a few feet away and kicked him to wake him up.
"Master, what was that for?" Jaken sputtered, jarred by the rude and sudden awakening his master had given him.
"I am about to go into battle with Inuyasha and his comrades. Doubtless you know this is not a sight for Rin to see. I want you to watch over her while she plays in the forest. I will alert you when it is safe to return," Sesshomaru instructed the minion. "Yes master Sesshomaru," Jaken replied. "Come girl. It is time we left here." Rin was at the point of tears. "Please Sesshomaru-sama don't make me go away! I want to stay here with you!" Sesshomaru's soul stirred again. "I promise you Rin that you will see me again soon. Now go play."
Rin's face turned bright again, and she skipped off to do her master's bidding. A whole day with nothing to do but play! If only she could do it without smelly old Jaken. She stopped her skipping and glanced behind her. Jaken was watching her with an eagle's eye, following her every move. She sat down in the grass, trying to think of a way to outsmart the ugly toad. Finally she had it.
Rin skipped along close to the forest's edge. Then, suddenly, she cocked her ear up to the wind. "What is it?" Jaken asked anxiously. Rin inwardly smiled. Her hearing was much better than Jaken's. "I think I hear Sesshomaru's signal! We may return! Hurray!" "Then let's go human," Jaken proclaimed. "Lead the way." Rin put a troubled look on her face. "But I don't know the way. I forgot." Jaken sighed. "Follow me." Jaken began shuffling through the grass to Sesshomaru's hill.
Rin grinned. This had been too easy. She happily (but quietly) skipped away into the forest, leaving the stupid demon to wander towards the hill alone.
Sesshomaru quickly crouched out in the open, waiting for his brother's attack. He then thought better of it and hid behind a tree to ambush the group.
"Alright. So do we have a plan?" Inuyasha asked the group. "All is clear to me," Sango replied. "And to me as well," declared Miroku. Kagome was glancing around nervously and did not answer. "Wench! Weren't you paying any attention?" Inuyasha growled at her. "Hm? Oh, yes. I understand," she replied, startled out of her musing. "Where's Shippo?" "Probably gone off to pout," Inuyasha retorted. SMACK! "MIROKU YOU PERVERT!" Chaos ensued. "Oh will it ever end?" Kagome wailed in despair. Inuyasha sighed and shook his head.
"Human, we are almost there. Human? Human?"
Jaken finally turned around, only to discover that Rin was not there. His green skin turned pale and he began to spaz out.
"AAH! MASTER SESSHOMARU WILL BE SO ANGRY! AAAAA..." He fainted.
Rin giggled as she skipped through the forest. Stupid Jaken-sama! She had fooled him! Now she was free to play until she really heard Sesshomaru's call.
After a while of playing, Rin came upon a small clear brook. She was very thirsty, and drank her fill of the cold, clean water. When Rin looked up and over to the other side of the brook, she saw something laying there.
"What is it? It couldn't be a kitty. Kitties don't have ears like that. They're not that bright orange either. Wait...I KNOW! It's a FOX! But it's so little...maybe it's a baby fox! And maybe its mama left it all alone to fend for itself in the wild. Aw, poor little thing! I know! I'll take it to Sesshomaru-sama and ask if we can keep it! Then we can take care of it, and I can be its mama.
Rin crossed the creek quietly, sneaking up quietly on what she took to be a baby fox. As she neared it, she noticed something strange; the fox was wearing clothes! Rin poked the little thing cautiously. When she did, she was greatly surprised when it rolled over and moaned, "Just five more minutes Inuyasha...late night storytelling with Kagome..." Rin jumped away, stunned. This fox spoke! When it uncurled and rolled over, she realized it had a face and hair like a human!
Then Rin remembered something Sesshomaru had told her about... the kitsune. Half-human fox demons that roamed the forests. She couldn't remember if they were friendly or not though. Rin wondered if she should run or if she should stay and meet the creature, when it opened its eyes and looked up at her. And smiled.
"Hi," the kitsune said. "My name's Shippo. What's yours?" Rin instantly grinned as well. "Rin's name is Rin!" she proudly proclaimed. Shippo suddenly frowned. "Where did you come from?" Rin smiled broadly as she answered the question. "Rin was sent away to go and play while Sesshomaru- sama took care of his business," Rin told Shippo. Shippo's frown deepened. "Sesshomaru?" "Well of course!" Rin giggled. "Sesshomaru is Rin's protector and Rin is his servant!"
Inuyasha walked into the clearing at the top of the hill. Damn! Where is that bastard of a brother of mine? he thought. Probably hiding, ready to ambush him. Well he'd show that demon a thing or two about fighting.
"Sesshomaru! Show yourself you coward!" Inuyasha yelled out recklessly. Sesshomaru only smiled slightly. "A little closer hanyou and I will fulfill your wish." Inuyasha took the fated step, and Sesshomaru took the bait. "Now!" shouted Inuyasha as his half- brother leapt out at him. Sango jumped out from where she had been hiding and slung her boomerang at the demon. Sesshomaru was slammed in the back with the hiratsu. He hardly even flinched as his claws ripped a gash in Inuyasha's side. Sango gasped as she saw her boomerang made from demon's bone break into three shards at Sesshomaru's feet.
"But...how?" Sango asked. Then, from the bushes, Kagome caught sight of something glimmering on Sesshomaru's neck. "Inuyasha! Watch out! He has a jewel shard in his neck!" Kagome shouted. Inuyasha's face registered surprise. "But...why?" he gasped, trying to recover from the searing sensation in his gut. "He never wanted the shards!"
"Ah but did he?" A voice came from atop a tree not too far away. All but Sesshomaru looked up into the tree to see a white baboon sitting there. "Naraku!" Kagome breathed. "Yes," Naraku chuckled. "Funny how easily people change isn't it?" "Naraku! You put the shard into Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha spat out. Naraku chuckled again. "Yes, indeed. But it really doesn't matter does it? You two were fighting ever since your father died, so I don't have to bother. But this makes him so much stronger, don't you think?"
"Fool," Miroku said quietly. "Your puppet is no stronger than he was before you inserted the jewel. He is not invincible. He just does not feel the pain of his wounds. He will die with or without the shard." Naraku just smiled more gleefully. "Well then. Two down, and I doubt there will be any left to go." With that he vanished, and Sesshomaru attacked the wounded Inuyasha again.
Deep in a castle far away in the western lands, a dark spirit was at work as it had been for the past hundreds of years. She was the one who dealt with the small group's fate, and toyed with their reality. An evil witch that had no name, and whose sole purpose was to make their lives a living misery. It was she who had the whole forest under her spells. She had prolonged her years farther than any mortal ever should have. Now she was beginning to come apart, the life slipping away from her body. Still she watched over her pools of darkness, manipulating souls, restoring souls. Soon her body would be lifeless, her corpse rotting in the small cavern she lived in that stank of black incense and blood.
She had but one servant, and that was a lesser witch, Urasuea, which she had resurrected and now controlled using her evil magic. She grinned a malicious grin just thinking of what chaos would occur when she died, when all the souls were released from her hold. She was the one who made them who they were. Only a few had she not bothered to tamper with. Lesser humans were only messed with if a war was needed. Their minds were easily corrupted at the slightest hint of betrayal or if the slightest sliver of doubt was able to worm its way into their hearts. Lesser demons were dealt with in the same matter. Only bother with them if a war needs to be started.
As she toyed with the strings of her puppets in the last days of her life, the nameless evil chuckled, a rasping noise escaping her throat. They would all meet their destruction soon enough. Meanwhile she would let the hanyou and his demon half-brother live for the time being. Yes, these last few days, when her powers began to fade on and off would be quite interesting to watch indeed. The strings were pulled, and the fight between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru continued on.
"Sango!" Miroku crawled to the wounded demon-slayer, weakened as he was by his own wounds, and cradled her head in his hands gently. "Please! Speak to me...I cannot live with myself if you die!" The monk cried over Sango's broken body with true agony in his heart. Sesshomaru simply stared at him with cold, expressionless eyes. He glanced over to where Inuyasha lay in a pool of blood, and then to where Kagome lay, weeping from the sorrow and the pain. He had broken both her legs, and now she lay helpless in the blood-stained grass, unable to do anything but cry. All this he looked upon with no remorse, no sorrow for what he'd inflicted upon them.
The jewel shard glinted upon his neck. Out of nowhere, Naraku appeared. He chuckled evilly. "Kukukukuku. This is excellent Sesshomaru. I had not expected you to fare so well against your brother and his notorious friends. Perhaps you were holding back before? Though why I do not know."
Sesshomaru's steely gray eyes reflected no emotion to Naraku. They remained frozen and more emotionless than they had ever been in all his life as a demon. Naraku frowned mockingly and tsked at Sesshomaru disapprovingly. "You horrible youkai! Aren't you even a little remorseful for all you've done?" Sesshomaru stared on. Naraku frowned, not amused anymore. "Fine. I will let you free of the hold of the shard. Let us see what you think of the destruction you have caused."
With that, Naraku pulled out the shard and disappeared. Sesshomaru blinked, released from Naraku's hold on him. It was then that he witnessed the bloodbath on the ground before him. Even for a demon like him, one who had seen countless battles and gore, this was a horrible sight to behold. Who had done this?
Sesshomaru looked down at his hands and realized...they were coated in blood. At that moment, in a cavern far away in the western lands, a string dropped from the shaking hands that held it, and a single tear slipped down Sesshomaru's cheek. Kagome looked up, stunned. Was it possible? Was Sesshomaru...crying?
Then the string was once again recovered, and Sesshomaru's tear fell to the grass below, never to be seen again. His eyes became cold and hard again, and he left the group without a word, never to return to that hilltop again.
Sesshomaru, Jaken and Rin were traveling through the forest as usual. The sun was beginning to set, and a beautiful purple hue lit up the horizon.
"Sesshomaru-sama, I'm getting tired," Rin yawned to her protector. "Just a bit farther child," Sesshomaru told her in his cold emotionless voice. They traveled to the top of a hill and then stopped to make camp. Sesshomaru and Jaken built a fire for Rin and fed her. She fell asleep almost immediately. Jaken curled up and fell asleep as well. Sesshomaru tried to sleep but found that he could not. He stared coldly into the dancing flames of the fire and was lost in his thoughts. Thoughts of pain. Thoughts of death. And thoughts of killing his shameful half- brother, Inuyasha.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and his group were still up and at it. They wouldn't rest until they had found the last shard of the Shikon jewel. Or until Miroku, who was helping the wounded Sango keep up with the group began to unknowingly grope her behind...
SMACK! "Ouch! What the heck was that for?" Miroku mumbled sleepily. "YOU GROPED ME YOU HENTAI!" Sango yelled at the sleepy monk as she slapped him again. "I did?" Miroku said, trying to hide a gleeful smile. SMACK! "OK OK I'm sorry! I didn't realize what I was doing," Miroku protested as he rubbed his sore face.
"I think we should stop here Inuyasha," Kagome suggested hopefully to the hurried hanyou. "No way. We've got to keep going until we find the rest of that jewel," he replied. "Kagome! Miroku just fell over flat on his face!" yelled Shippo from the back of the group. Inuyasha stopped and sighed. Kagome grinned impishly. "You were saying?" "Alright fine! We'll stop at the top of this next hill," he replied.
Suddenly Inuyasha smelled something...something he wished he had been downwind of and could've smelled before. Kagome saw his muscles tense. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" she asked him. Then she felt it. The irresistible pull of the Shikon jewel. She gasped at how close it was. "Inuyasha! It's so close! How come I didn't feel it before?" Kagome asked the dog demon anxiously. "Feel what?" Inuyasha snapped. "A shard of the Shikon jewel, that's what," she replied.
Inuyasha gasped. "How did he come to possess one of the shards?" Kagome frowned uneasily. "What's up with you anyway Inuyasha?" she asked. "I'm sensing...my brother." Now it was Kagome's turn to gasp in surprise. "Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha nodded. "Uh-oh. That can't be good," Kagome proclaimed.
Shippo came darting up towards Inuyasha and Kagome. "Kagome! They won't stop fighting!" Shippo whined. And indeed Miroku and Sango were. Miroku was now pretending to be too sleepy to know what he was doing and was trying to grope Sango's breasts. Sango was in turn whacking him over the head with her Hiratsu and inwardly wishing she had a sit command for him. "Shhh!" Inuyasha whispered to them. Miroku and Sango immediately fell silent and stared where the other three were staring. The top of the hill.
"What is it Inuyasha?" Sango asked. "Sesshomaru is at the top of that hill," Inuyasha informed them, "along with a lesser demon and a human child." "He has a shard of the Shikon jewel!" Kagome exclaimed. "Why does he have one of those?" Shippo asked. Inuyasha turned on him, annoyed. "What do you think I went up there and asked him? I dunno!" "Well sorry I asked Mr. Grumpy-pants," Shippo griped, and went back to playing with a flower he'd picked in the fields. "Come on guys, stop fighting. Let's just go camp somewhere else," Kagome protested. "What do you mean?" Inuyasha sneered. "This is a perfect, not-to-be-missed opportunity we have here. My brother on the top of that hill, probably asleep, with a shard of the Shikon jewel! I say I go up and battle him for his shard. And to kill him of course."
"What?!" Kagome said. "You must be insane! You are still recovering from the wounds Naraku left you with on our last little jewel shard escapade. You're in no condition to be battling Sesshomaru today." Inuyasha merely shrugged her off. "Feh. Stupid. I'm half demon, remember? My wounds are nearly recovered. I can still take on my older brother, no problem."
"I will fight by your side Inuyasha!" Shippo declared, leaping up from his spot on the grass. Miroku chuckled and patted the young kitsune on the head. "Sorry Shippo. You'll have to sit this one out." Shippo grumbled. "I always have to sit this one out..." "I'd be proud to fight by your side Inuyasha," Miroku said and bowed. Sango did the same. "Yeah yeah you can cut the drama now," Inuyasha told them. "I'll fight too Inuyasha," Kagome told him. Inuyasha looked between them all and sighed. "I doubt I'll need any of your help with this," he told them. They all rolled their eyes. They knew how Inuyasha loved to act tough in the face of danger. "Fine we'll just be your backup," Kagome told him sarcastically. "Fine. If you feel you have to," he growled.
No one noticed when Shippo left the group grumbling. "I never get to help. Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm helpless. Does it?"
I'm so confused. Ah well maybe it's better that I'm not in the battle anyway. Who wants to get splattered in guts and blood anyway? Ew.
Shippo eventually found a small brook in a moonlit clearing. It made a pleasant sound, so he sat next to it and stared into the cool clear water, and before he knew it, he was curled up on the grass asleep.
Sesshomaru had finally fallen asleep. In his dream he was lying on the top of the same hill he was lying on in real waking life, sleeping peacefully. It was then that he smelled a strange scent...it smelled like...Inuyasha!
Sesshomaru woke up with a jolt and immediately sniffed the air. Yes his dream was indeed correct. His brother's scent carried through the air along with the smell of his human companions. He knew he must prepare for battle. But first he had to wake up Rin. Bloodshed was not a sight for children to see.
"Rin. Wake up." Rin awoke, yawned, and smiled brightly at the youkai. "Sessho-sama! Is it time to go now?" "Yes Rin. You must go. But I will not be able to go with you on this trip." Rin expression turned downcast. "W...what do you mean Sesshomaru-sama? Rin must go somewhere all by herself?" Rin's eyes began to well up with tears. Within Sesshomaru's normally cold and emotionless soul a small feeling stirred and he managed a small smile towards the child. "Don't worry. I'm only sending you away for a short while. Jaken will go with you." He eyed Jaken who was snoring only a few feet away and kicked him to wake him up.
"Master, what was that for?" Jaken sputtered, jarred by the rude and sudden awakening his master had given him.
"I am about to go into battle with Inuyasha and his comrades. Doubtless you know this is not a sight for Rin to see. I want you to watch over her while she plays in the forest. I will alert you when it is safe to return," Sesshomaru instructed the minion. "Yes master Sesshomaru," Jaken replied. "Come girl. It is time we left here." Rin was at the point of tears. "Please Sesshomaru-sama don't make me go away! I want to stay here with you!" Sesshomaru's soul stirred again. "I promise you Rin that you will see me again soon. Now go play."
Rin's face turned bright again, and she skipped off to do her master's bidding. A whole day with nothing to do but play! If only she could do it without smelly old Jaken. She stopped her skipping and glanced behind her. Jaken was watching her with an eagle's eye, following her every move. She sat down in the grass, trying to think of a way to outsmart the ugly toad. Finally she had it.
Rin skipped along close to the forest's edge. Then, suddenly, she cocked her ear up to the wind. "What is it?" Jaken asked anxiously. Rin inwardly smiled. Her hearing was much better than Jaken's. "I think I hear Sesshomaru's signal! We may return! Hurray!" "Then let's go human," Jaken proclaimed. "Lead the way." Rin put a troubled look on her face. "But I don't know the way. I forgot." Jaken sighed. "Follow me." Jaken began shuffling through the grass to Sesshomaru's hill.
Rin grinned. This had been too easy. She happily (but quietly) skipped away into the forest, leaving the stupid demon to wander towards the hill alone.
Sesshomaru quickly crouched out in the open, waiting for his brother's attack. He then thought better of it and hid behind a tree to ambush the group.
"Alright. So do we have a plan?" Inuyasha asked the group. "All is clear to me," Sango replied. "And to me as well," declared Miroku. Kagome was glancing around nervously and did not answer. "Wench! Weren't you paying any attention?" Inuyasha growled at her. "Hm? Oh, yes. I understand," she replied, startled out of her musing. "Where's Shippo?" "Probably gone off to pout," Inuyasha retorted. SMACK! "MIROKU YOU PERVERT!" Chaos ensued. "Oh will it ever end?" Kagome wailed in despair. Inuyasha sighed and shook his head.
"Human, we are almost there. Human? Human?"
Jaken finally turned around, only to discover that Rin was not there. His green skin turned pale and he began to spaz out.
"AAH! MASTER SESSHOMARU WILL BE SO ANGRY! AAAAA..." He fainted.
Rin giggled as she skipped through the forest. Stupid Jaken-sama! She had fooled him! Now she was free to play until she really heard Sesshomaru's call.
After a while of playing, Rin came upon a small clear brook. She was very thirsty, and drank her fill of the cold, clean water. When Rin looked up and over to the other side of the brook, she saw something laying there.
"What is it? It couldn't be a kitty. Kitties don't have ears like that. They're not that bright orange either. Wait...I KNOW! It's a FOX! But it's so little...maybe it's a baby fox! And maybe its mama left it all alone to fend for itself in the wild. Aw, poor little thing! I know! I'll take it to Sesshomaru-sama and ask if we can keep it! Then we can take care of it, and I can be its mama.
Rin crossed the creek quietly, sneaking up quietly on what she took to be a baby fox. As she neared it, she noticed something strange; the fox was wearing clothes! Rin poked the little thing cautiously. When she did, she was greatly surprised when it rolled over and moaned, "Just five more minutes Inuyasha...late night storytelling with Kagome..." Rin jumped away, stunned. This fox spoke! When it uncurled and rolled over, she realized it had a face and hair like a human!
Then Rin remembered something Sesshomaru had told her about... the kitsune. Half-human fox demons that roamed the forests. She couldn't remember if they were friendly or not though. Rin wondered if she should run or if she should stay and meet the creature, when it opened its eyes and looked up at her. And smiled.
"Hi," the kitsune said. "My name's Shippo. What's yours?" Rin instantly grinned as well. "Rin's name is Rin!" she proudly proclaimed. Shippo suddenly frowned. "Where did you come from?" Rin smiled broadly as she answered the question. "Rin was sent away to go and play while Sesshomaru- sama took care of his business," Rin told Shippo. Shippo's frown deepened. "Sesshomaru?" "Well of course!" Rin giggled. "Sesshomaru is Rin's protector and Rin is his servant!"
Inuyasha walked into the clearing at the top of the hill. Damn! Where is that bastard of a brother of mine? he thought. Probably hiding, ready to ambush him. Well he'd show that demon a thing or two about fighting.
"Sesshomaru! Show yourself you coward!" Inuyasha yelled out recklessly. Sesshomaru only smiled slightly. "A little closer hanyou and I will fulfill your wish." Inuyasha took the fated step, and Sesshomaru took the bait. "Now!" shouted Inuyasha as his half- brother leapt out at him. Sango jumped out from where she had been hiding and slung her boomerang at the demon. Sesshomaru was slammed in the back with the hiratsu. He hardly even flinched as his claws ripped a gash in Inuyasha's side. Sango gasped as she saw her boomerang made from demon's bone break into three shards at Sesshomaru's feet.
"But...how?" Sango asked. Then, from the bushes, Kagome caught sight of something glimmering on Sesshomaru's neck. "Inuyasha! Watch out! He has a jewel shard in his neck!" Kagome shouted. Inuyasha's face registered surprise. "But...why?" he gasped, trying to recover from the searing sensation in his gut. "He never wanted the shards!"
"Ah but did he?" A voice came from atop a tree not too far away. All but Sesshomaru looked up into the tree to see a white baboon sitting there. "Naraku!" Kagome breathed. "Yes," Naraku chuckled. "Funny how easily people change isn't it?" "Naraku! You put the shard into Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha spat out. Naraku chuckled again. "Yes, indeed. But it really doesn't matter does it? You two were fighting ever since your father died, so I don't have to bother. But this makes him so much stronger, don't you think?"
"Fool," Miroku said quietly. "Your puppet is no stronger than he was before you inserted the jewel. He is not invincible. He just does not feel the pain of his wounds. He will die with or without the shard." Naraku just smiled more gleefully. "Well then. Two down, and I doubt there will be any left to go." With that he vanished, and Sesshomaru attacked the wounded Inuyasha again.
Deep in a castle far away in the western lands, a dark spirit was at work as it had been for the past hundreds of years. She was the one who dealt with the small group's fate, and toyed with their reality. An evil witch that had no name, and whose sole purpose was to make their lives a living misery. It was she who had the whole forest under her spells. She had prolonged her years farther than any mortal ever should have. Now she was beginning to come apart, the life slipping away from her body. Still she watched over her pools of darkness, manipulating souls, restoring souls. Soon her body would be lifeless, her corpse rotting in the small cavern she lived in that stank of black incense and blood.
She had but one servant, and that was a lesser witch, Urasuea, which she had resurrected and now controlled using her evil magic. She grinned a malicious grin just thinking of what chaos would occur when she died, when all the souls were released from her hold. She was the one who made them who they were. Only a few had she not bothered to tamper with. Lesser humans were only messed with if a war was needed. Their minds were easily corrupted at the slightest hint of betrayal or if the slightest sliver of doubt was able to worm its way into their hearts. Lesser demons were dealt with in the same matter. Only bother with them if a war needs to be started.
As she toyed with the strings of her puppets in the last days of her life, the nameless evil chuckled, a rasping noise escaping her throat. They would all meet their destruction soon enough. Meanwhile she would let the hanyou and his demon half-brother live for the time being. Yes, these last few days, when her powers began to fade on and off would be quite interesting to watch indeed. The strings were pulled, and the fight between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru continued on.
"Sango!" Miroku crawled to the wounded demon-slayer, weakened as he was by his own wounds, and cradled her head in his hands gently. "Please! Speak to me...I cannot live with myself if you die!" The monk cried over Sango's broken body with true agony in his heart. Sesshomaru simply stared at him with cold, expressionless eyes. He glanced over to where Inuyasha lay in a pool of blood, and then to where Kagome lay, weeping from the sorrow and the pain. He had broken both her legs, and now she lay helpless in the blood-stained grass, unable to do anything but cry. All this he looked upon with no remorse, no sorrow for what he'd inflicted upon them.
The jewel shard glinted upon his neck. Out of nowhere, Naraku appeared. He chuckled evilly. "Kukukukuku. This is excellent Sesshomaru. I had not expected you to fare so well against your brother and his notorious friends. Perhaps you were holding back before? Though why I do not know."
Sesshomaru's steely gray eyes reflected no emotion to Naraku. They remained frozen and more emotionless than they had ever been in all his life as a demon. Naraku frowned mockingly and tsked at Sesshomaru disapprovingly. "You horrible youkai! Aren't you even a little remorseful for all you've done?" Sesshomaru stared on. Naraku frowned, not amused anymore. "Fine. I will let you free of the hold of the shard. Let us see what you think of the destruction you have caused."
With that, Naraku pulled out the shard and disappeared. Sesshomaru blinked, released from Naraku's hold on him. It was then that he witnessed the bloodbath on the ground before him. Even for a demon like him, one who had seen countless battles and gore, this was a horrible sight to behold. Who had done this?
Sesshomaru looked down at his hands and realized...they were coated in blood. At that moment, in a cavern far away in the western lands, a string dropped from the shaking hands that held it, and a single tear slipped down Sesshomaru's cheek. Kagome looked up, stunned. Was it possible? Was Sesshomaru...crying?
Then the string was once again recovered, and Sesshomaru's tear fell to the grass below, never to be seen again. His eyes became cold and hard again, and he left the group without a word, never to return to that hilltop again.